Lubricating device



May 24, 1938.

H. R. TEAR LU'BRICATING DEVICE Filed Aug. l2, 1956 .No n

[Hummm-f n Iull-l Egg! L "n, Ali .q INVENTOR. N WRYR 72W? ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES LUBRICATING DEVICE Harry R. Tear, Evanston, Ill., Vassigner to The Lubrication Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application August 12, 1936, Serial No. 95,499

Claims.

This invention relates Vto lubricating devices and more particularly to factory filled lubricant supply cartridges and tol dispensers utilizing such cartridges.

Lubricants of various types have, for some time, been marketed in factory filled cartridges and the advantages and desirability `of this method of handling lubricants are: now too well known to require furtherdiscussion. One of the desirable features of cartridged lubricant is that the customer receives assurance that he is actually receiving the brand of lubricant which he desires since the manufacturers label may be placed on Y the cartridge at the time it' is lled. There might, however, be a tendency on the part of unscrupulous persons to take advantage of the advertising and prestige of other better known manufacturers by obtaining used or empty cartridges bearing the labels of such manufacturers and refilling such cartridges with their own inferior lubricant. This practice would be very unfair to the original manufacturer and also to the customer, since the latter would be deceived into accepting an inferior product. Such unfair practice can be eliminated if the cartridges can be so constructed that refilling after once using is impossible, and it is accordingly one of the objects of th-e present invention to provide a. lubricant cartridge `which cannot be refilled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lubricant cartridge including a piston having an opening therein which is normally closed during original use of the cartridge but which will be opened upon any attempt toi move the'p-iston rearwardly, as would be necessary to refill the cartridge.

Another object is to provide a piston for a lubricant cartridge having a normally closed opening which will remain closed against a force in one direction but which will be opened by a force in the other direction.

Still another object is to provide a lubricant dispenser including a feed screw and a cartridge having a movable piston with a normally closed opening in which the feed screw force tends to hold the opening closed but a force in the opposite direction tends to open it.

Other obiects, advantages and desirable particular constructions will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a. side view of a lubricant dispenser embodying the invention with parts in section.

(ci. azi-47.4)

Fig 2 is a partial central section similar to Fig. 1 showing a dierent position;

Fig. 3 is a central section of a modified construction embodying the invention;

Eig. 4 is an enlarged partial View of the con- 5 struction of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is-a View similar to Fig. 3 of a further modified construction.

The' dispenser illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises! a cylindrical barrel or housing which is closed at 10 one end by a permanently attached cap 2 through which va feed screw 3 extends. The feed screw 3 is preferably connected to the cap by means of a quick rel-ease device 4 which may bei operated to release the feed screw for fre-e axial movement l5 or which may be threadedly connected to the feed screw. A suitable operating handle 5 is secured to the outer end of the feed screw and the inner end thereof carries a cup member 6 for engagement with'a cartridge piston. 2o

The opposite end ofthe barrel I is closed by means of a detachable head 'I which carries a lubricant pump formed by a member 8 extending loosely through the head 1 and having an inlet stud 9 and a member Il slidably mounted on the 25 member 8 and carrying a Ynozzle I2 of any suitable type. The pump part 8 is rigidly secured to a connector plate i3 which lies inside of the head 'I and which is formed around its periphery with a plurality of notches and cam portions for form- 30 ing a bayonet joint with a lubricant cartridge.

The barrel I is adapted toreceive an interchangeable factory filled lubricant cartridge having a cylindrical side wall I4 and a xed end closure l5 formed with a' central outlet opening 35 defined by a spherical wall portion I6 adapted for sealing engagement with the inlet stud 9. The forward end of the cartridge side wall has a plurality of depressed lugs I1 by which the cartridge may be connected rigidly to the connector 40 plate I3. The opposite end of the cartridge is closed by a slidably mounted piston I8 having a central opening therein dened by an outwardly turned flange I9. The opening may be closed by a cap 2l frictionally fitting over the flange I 9 45 and having a reduced portion 22 adapted tot into the cup member 6.

To operate the dispenser of Fig. 1, the parts are iirst assembled as indicated and the feed screw 5 may then be turned into the barrel to 50 bring the cup member 5 into engagement with the cap 2l. Further turning of the feed screw will create a pressure on the piston I8 forcing lubricant from the cartridge into the pump part 8. Thereafter the nozzle I2 may be placed against 55 a fitting and a thrust exerted on the handle 5 or barrel I in the direction of the nozzle to telescope the pump parts and thereby to eject lubricant from the pump. It will be noted that during operation of the feed screw the thrust exerted thereby tends to force the cap 2I tightly against the piston so that the opening through the ange I9 will be closed and there will be no tendency for the cap 2| to be removed.

Fig. 2 illustrates the relative positions of the cartridgeI parts when the contents thereof have been almost entirely discharged and the piston I8 has moved to a position closely adjacent the end closure I5. It will be appreciated that when the cartridge is completely emptied the piston I8 will lie in contact with the end closure substantially throughout their entire areas so that practically all of the contents of the cartridge will be dispensed. In order to refill the cartridge it would be necessary to force the piston I8 away from the closure I5 to its original position either by inserting a toolthrough the outlet opening to force the piston back mechanically or by forcing lubricant or other fluid under pressure into the outlet opening. It will be noted from the relative positions of the parts in Fig. 2 that any tool inserted through the' outlet opening in the wall I5 would necessarily engage the cap member 2l and a thrust exerted on such tool would cause the cap member to slide off of the flange I9 thereby leaving an uncovered hole in the piston. The cap member 2l would be removed similarly if it were attempted to force the piston back by means of fluid pressure and it will be apparent that with the cap member removed it is substantially impossible to force the piston backwardly in the cartridge. Thus this construction makes refilling of the cartridge a substantial impossibility and insures that the contents of the cartridge are those originally placed therein by the manufacturer.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified piston construction which might be substituted for the piston i8 of Figs. 1 and 2 comprising a body portion 24 having a circular periphery adapted to seal against the inner wall of the cylindrical cartridge body and formed at its central portion with an outwardly extending flange 25 connected to a similar flange 26 of reduced diameter. The end of the flange 25 is open to provide a hole through the piston and may be closed by means of a sheet 2'! of frangible material such as paper, metal foil or the like which is cemented to the flange 25 as indicated at 28. A cap 29 is formed to fit over the flange 26 and down turned edges of the sheet 2l' and has a radial flange 3| to provide a seat for the edges of the 'cup member 6. The central portion of the cap 29 is substantially fiat and overlies the sheet 21 to provide a reinforcement therefor against lubricant pressure in the cartridge. However, if it were attempted to move the piston rearwardly by means of a tool inserted through the cartridge outlet opening or by fluid pressure applied to the cartridge outlet opening, the sheet 2'! would be ruptured and the cap 29 would be forced off of the flange 26 thereby substantially destroying the utility of the piston and making it substantially impossible to refill a cartridge successfully.

Fig. 5 illustrates a further modified piston construction including a body portion 32 having a central opening defined by an outwardly turned central flange 33, the edges of which are rolled in as indicated at 34 to provide a smooth surface. A sheet of frangible material 35 is cemented over the edge ofthe flange and a cap member 36 is adapted to fit over the sheet and the fiange to reinforce the sheet during normal operation. The cap member is preferably provided with an annular upwardly turned projection 31 of a size to fit within the cup member 6, thereby to assure centering of the cup member 6 on the piston. The piston of Fig. 5 operates in substantially the same manner as those previously described, it being noted that during normal operation the cap 35 reinforces the sheet 35 but that any attempt to force the piston rearwardly in a cartridge will result in displacement of the cap 36 and rupturing of the sheet 35.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent that many changes might be made therein and it is accordingly not intended to be limited to the forms shown or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

` I claim:

1. A lubricant supply cartridge comprising, a cylindrical wall portion having a xed closure provided with an outlet opening at one end defined by a flange extending into the cartridge, a piston slidably mounted in the cartridge and forming a movable closure for its opposite end, said piston having an opening therein in register with said outlet opening, and defined by a rearwardly extending circular flange adapted to fit over said first named flange, and a cap frictionally fitting over the outside of said last named flange whereby 'a force exerted on the cap in the direction of the outlet opening will urge the piston through the cartridge but a force exerted on the cap through the outlet opening will remove the cap from the piston.

2. A lubricant supply cartridge comprising, a cylindrical wall portion having a fixed closure provided with an outlet opening at one end, a piston slidably mounted in the cartridge and forming a movable closure for its' opposite end, said piston having an opening therein in register with said outlet opening, a frangible sheet secured over said opening in the piston to close it, and a relatively flat reinforcing member overlying said sheet whereby a thrust on the reinforcing member in the direction of the outlet opening will cause it to reinforce the sheet and to force the piston through the cartridge and a tool inserted through the outlet opening will rupture the sheet and force said member away from the piston.

3. A lubricant supply cartridge comprising, a cylindrical wall portion having a fixed closure provided with an voutlet opening at one end, a piston slidably mounted in the cartridge and forming a movable closure for its opposite end, said piston having an opening therein in register with said outlet opening, a frangible sheet secured over said opening in the piston to close it, and a cap frictionally secured to the piston and having a relatively flat surface overlying the sheet to reinforce it, said sheet Yadapted to be ruptured and said cap adapted to be removed by a force exerted thereon through the outlet opening.

4. A lubricant supply cartridge comprising, a cylindrical wall portion having a fixed closure provided with an outlet opening at one end, a piston slidably mounted in the cartridge and forming a movable closure for its opposite end, Said piston having an opening therein in register with said outlet opening, and defined by a rearwardly extending circular flange, a frangible sheet secured over the edge of said flange to close the opening, and a cap frictionally fitting over said ange and having a relatively flat surface overlying the sheet to reinforce it.

5. In a lubricant cartridge, a piston compris- 5 ing, a circular body formed around its periphery for sealing engagement with the cartridge side Wall, said body having a central opening dened by an outwardly turned flange, a frangible sheet secured to the edge of the flange and closing the opening, and a cap frictionally tting over the flange and having a relatively at surface overlying and reinforcing said sheet.

HARRY R. TEAR. 

